Donald Trump to Address Hollywood Conservative Group

Donald Trump will speak to Friends of Abe, a leading private Hollywood conservative group, this Friday in Brentwood, a person close to the event told TheWrap.

FOA gatherings have become a regular stop for Republican presidential hopefuls since 2004. But Trump’s appearance is especially noteworthy in light of his recent comments on Mexican immigrants which set off a national outcry in recent days.

“I’m anxious to give him the opportunity to clarify what he has said and what is in his heart,” FOA member and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Lionel Chetwynd told TheWrap on Tuesday.

“Trump expressed his opinion,” he added. “It was intemperate and probably not suitable for a presidential aspirant, but there is a reason it’s resonated with so many Republicans, Democrats and Independents, as the polls initially showed. Everyone knows that our immigration system is hopelessly broken and is being cynically manipulated.”

Chetwynd says that while Trump’s remarks may have been brash, his popularity has increased because voters are looking for someone who will tell it like it is.

“Established politicians are too afraid of potentially alienating Hispanic voters,” said Chetwynd, whose credits include “The Man Who Captured Eichmann” and “Ike: Countdown to D-Day.” “There’s a reason why Trump is resonating with people, including a significant portion of Hispanic voters.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton took aim at Trump during a CNN interview, saying she was “very disappointed in those comments and I feel very bad, and very disappointed with him and with the Republican Party for not responding immediately and saying, ‘Enough! Stop It!'”

Friends of Abe, founded by actor Gary Sinise, claims more than 2,200 members. The organization has kept a deliberately low profile over the years for fear that members might be blacklisted in an overwhelmingly liberal industry. But Jon Voight, Pat Boone and Kesley Grammar have stated that they are members.

15 Times Donald Trump Courted Controversy (Photos)

The U.S. Justice Department accused Trump of not renting to minority tenants in 1973.

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Trump was accused of dooming the fledgling U.S. Football League in 1984 when he insisted it go head to head with the NFL with a fall game schedule.

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Trump sparked a feud with Rosie O'Donnell in 2006, calling the comedian "disgusting" and "a slob," among other things

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In September 2010, Trump accused the imam of a proposed mosque near NYC's Ground Zero of using religion to bargain for a better real estate price.

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Joining the dubious "birther" movement, Trump fought to get President Obama to release his long-form birth certificate in April 2011.

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Trump earned the ire of environmentalists when he unveiled plans for a massive golf course in Scotland in July 2012.

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Trump upset gay rights groups when he compared gay marriage to golf in February 2013.

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In August 2013 Trump was the subject of a civil suit for allegedly false promises made to students of his Trump University.

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A new waterfront Chicago skyscraper opened in 2014 despite widespread complaints about the 20-foot-high sign bearing his name.

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Trump began a feud with Russell Brand after seeing the British comedian on a talk show and disliking what he saw.

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Trump minced no words when he tweeted about the "thugs" rioting in Baltimore in April 2015 following the death of an African American man in police custody.

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Announcing his bid for the GOP nomination in June 2015, Trump set off a media firestorm when he called Mexican immigrants criminals and "rapists."

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Trump reportedly paid actors $50 a head to attend his presidential announcement speech in June 2015.

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Billionaire’s recent public image problems are latest in long line of troubles

The U.S. Justice Department accused Trump of not renting to minority tenants in 1973.